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Ropes: Wilderness Program for Teens

Register Now
Space is limited

Payment Plan Details:

Deposit of $150 due with registration. Remaining balance can be split into 2 monthly payments of $815.

Registration opens on August 4, 2023 at 12pm noon EST.

Click here to view our updated safety procedures & policies.

For:

High School aged teens

Dates:
*Please review updated locations below to know where programs are taking place

8 Saturday evening programs including a 1-night overnight in the Fall, and a 2-night overnight in the Spring

    • Sat, September 30, 2023: Clove Valley
    • Sat, October 28-29, 2023 *1-night overnight: 9:30AM Saturday drop off; 11AM Sunday pickup: Private Land Access Accord, NY
    • Sat, November 11, 2023: Rock Haven Road
    • Sat, December 9, 2023: Rock Haven Road
    • Sat, January 13, 2024: Rock Haven Road
    • Sat, February 3, 2024: Rock Haven Road
    • Sat, March 16, 2024: Rock Haven Road
    • Fri-Sun, April 19 – 21, 2024 *Please note FRIDAY 4pm drop-off for 2-night overnight; 11AM Sunday pickup: Location TBA
    • Sat, May 18, 2024: Clove Valley

Hazardous Weather Make-Up Days:

  • Sat, Mar 9, 2024
  • Sat, June 15, 2024

Times:

Saturdays: Evening drop-off time at 4pm
1-Night Overnight: Morning drop-off Saturday at 9:30AM; pickup on Sunday at 11am
2-Night Overnight: Evening drop-off Friday at 4pm; pickup on Sunday at 11am

4PM: Drop Off*

4–9:30PM: Program

9:30: Pick Up* 

*Please note: Drop off and pick up times for this program are no longer “rolling;” please arrive at the specified time.

Cost:

$1,780 for 23-24 Program, payment plans and financial aid available. Please indicate financial aid needs when you register, we encourage families to apply for any amount of aid needed.

Our Locations:

  • Clove Valley: 600 Clove Valley Road, High Falls, NY 12440
  • Special Private Land Access: Accord, NY
  • Rock Haven Road: 175 Rock Haven Road, Kerhonkson, NY 12446

Due to the unusual rattlesnake activity and behavior we have observed at our land in Kerhonkson this summer, we will be taking a break from regular programming there as we create an assessment process to inform our next steps. In the meantime, we plan to relocate our Artemis, Atlatl, Awl, and Ropes youth programs to alternate sites, for the duration of the 2023-2024 program year.

Additional Questions?

Drop us an email or give us a call and we'll be happy to answer your questions.
hello@wildearth.org
(845) 256-9830

Ropes: Wilderness Program for Teens

Ropes is a dinner party in the woods. It’s a deep conversation. It’s a ”plan-your-own adventure” experience for teens in their high school years.

News about Ropes for the 2023-2024 Season!

We are excited to announce that Ropes, will be returning to an evening schedule!

Ropes will continue to be a place where teens get together to foster relationships and step into leadership as they offer their visions for the program in collaboration with the instructors.

Meeting in the evenings versus the day offers a unique space to teens that is distinctly different from their previous Wild Earth experiences thus far. Relationship building and leadership opportunities will mainly center around the preparation and enjoyment of a shared meal.

This return to night programming is also possible due to an increase in staff support, as well as expressed interest from participants and staff alike!

What is Ropes About?

The name “Ropes” is a recognition that every life on this planet is interwoven with every other. Indeed, since the first program ran almost fifteen years ago, Ropes has prioritized the building and fostering of relationships: Our relationships with the more-than-human world support our relationships with one another, and those in turn support relationships outside of Wild Earth. At Ropes, two things are always true: (1). Every participant is celebrated in the group exactly as they are, and (2). Every participant has ample space and encouragement to surprise themself–perhaps by taking on increased levels of agency and responsibility, by accessing newfound forms of creativity, or just by daring to let loose and get silly. 

What makes Ropes distinct from other Wild Earth programs is that the participants are an active part of the planning and facilitation of each session. We recognize that teenagers arrive to Ropes with a strong sense of who they are and what they want, and we also know that many participants come having already been a Wild Earth Counselor-in-Training or having had jobs and significant responsibilities elsewhere. For this reason, we view the relationship between instructors and participants at Ropes as a collaboration: The teens offer their visions for the program, and instructors offer skilled support and guidance in making those visions possible. Ultimately, what emerges is a group experience that reflects the unique contributions of each participant.  

Here is what we know: 

  • We will gather in the woods for 7 Saturday nights and 2 overnights (one 1-night overnight in the fall; one 2-night overnight in the spring)
  • There will be a fire
  • There will be food cooked over the fire
  • There will be games
  • There will be conversation 

What we don’t yet know and is for the participants to decide is*: 

  • What we’ll eat and how we’ll cook it! 
  • What games we’ll play!
  • What we’ll discuss! 
  • What else we’ll do (Will we map the stars? Make crafts? Tend solo fires? Play running games for hours on end?) 

A monthly party in the woods may seem like a simple premise, but as teenagers well understand, it takes a lot of courage to show up to a party–and even more courage to plan one! Yet as with any party, the hope is that an evening spent just being in the company of others will make the rest of the week that much better. 

*A note for participants: If the thought of having to make all these decisions feels intimidating, don’t fret! The first couple sessions will be planned by Wild Earth staff so that you can ease into your decision making. Also, we feel pretty confident in our ability to make the planning fun. :) 

Values: 

  1. Relationship and belonging, with one another and with the environment
    1. Respect and reciprocity
    2. Communication and listening 
  2. Agency and leadership
    1. Awareness and self-discovery
  3. Play-based learning 
    1. Joy and laughter 
    2. Creative problem-solving

Testimonials:

“I recommend Ropes for all the support these teens are offered, and offer each other; for the outdoor time in all weather; for the challenges of learning to cope with all the weather and other quests they are given; for the perseverance they learn throughout this program; for the amazing staff and thoughtful programming (that seems effortless and natural).”

“Ropes gives me a healthy escape from high school. I get to be around grounded people who are close to my age, and who have a lot of wisdom to share. It’s nice to have a supportive community to go to each month throughout the school year.”

“Ropes describes building the bonds between your family, your community and the other people within the Ropes program, and that is exactly what [the program] Ropes accomplishes.”

“For me it was one of the most intense and meaningful experiences I have ever had. Ropes allowed me to look deeper and to escape my everyday high school life and figure out things I wouldn’t have been able to comprehend without the guidance of everyone around me. The skills I learned are incredibly valuable and will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

Register now and reserve your space in Ropes: Wilderness Program for Teens today. Space is limited.


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©2024 WILD EARTH   |   EIN: 20-1675636   |   2307 Lucas Turnpike   |   High Falls, NY 12440   |   (845) 256-9830

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